Gagliano was a solid utility player who spent his first seven-plus seasons with the Cardinals. He appeared in a career-high 122 games in 1965, hitting eight homers with 53 RBI. Developing into a top pinch hitter, he batted .354 in that role with the 1971-72 Red Sox, .366 for Cincinnati in 1973. He played with future St. Louis teammates Tim McCarver and Mike Shannon, and ML pitcher Jim Donahue, at Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee. His brother Ralph appeared in one game with the 1965 Indians.